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Former 49ers executive John McVay was reminiscing about the 49ers’ Super Bowl-winning years in Santa Clara Monday when he said, “It was Camelot.” McVay could barely get his sentence out before former 49ers Pro Bowl guard Guy McIntyre and former sports columnist Shelley Smith (now with ESPN) and former public relations director Jerry Walker said, “It was,” almost in unison.

McVay was at the 49ers to discuss the recent announcement about his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame. During his long tenure with the team, McVay performed a number of duties including general manager, chief contract negotiator and the right-hand man of the late Bill Walsh.

The cool-headed McVay was also the unofficial mediator between fiery former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. and the equally explosive Walsh.

“There was no doubt, no question, (Walsh) served at Eddie’s pleasure,” McVay said. “Eddie was unquestionably in charge; He was The Boss. But he delegated an enormous amount of authority to Bill.”

Once DeBartolo established himself as one of the most lavish owners in sports, and Walsh was quickly known as the game’s most innovative mind. The unassuming McVay also set up championship-caliber scouting department. It made coaches, players and scouts all want to come to the 49ers and become of part of their unprecedented success.

John McVay gets an invite into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“We had no problems hiring assistant coaches because they all wanted to come here,” McVay said. What he didn’t mention was that scouts did also. Former 49ers scout Joe Collins once slept on a couch of one of the trainers at the time just to work under McVay.

McVay, who will be officially inducted in October, told a number of stories. Including where he was at the end of the 1981 Championship Game, when Dwight Clark made his famous touchdown catch. McVay, who watched the game from the press box, when down to the south end of the field to meet DeBartolo, just below the owners’ suite. With time winding down, McVay and DeBartolo got stuck in the end zone behind a line of mounted San Francisco police, about 110 yards away from the where The Catch took place.

McVay said he could barely make out wide receiver Dwight Clark’s out-stretched hands as he hauled in the pass that would defeat America’s Team and send the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win.

McVay, who now lives in Sacramento, still comes to a handful of 49ers’ games and keeps tabs on the old crowd, including DeBartolo and former coach George Seifert.

“Those were happy days,” the retired McVay said with his adolescent grand kids close by. “We had a lot of good times.”